1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to treating heart disease, and more particularly systems, devices and methods for reestablishing or improving blood flow to the myocardium.
2. Description of Related Art
Despite the considerable advances that have been realized in cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, heart disease remains the leading cause of death throughout much of the world. Coronary artery disease, or arteriosclerosis, is the single leading cause of death in the United States today. As a result, those in the cardiovascular field continue the search for new and improved treatments.
Coronary artery disease is currently treated by interventional procedures such as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), atherectomy and intracoronary stenting, as well as surgical procedures including coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The goal of these procedures is to reestablish or improve blood flow through occluded (or partially occluded) coronary arteries, which is accomplished, for example, by enlarging the blood flow lumen of the artery or by forming a bypass that allows blood to circumvent the occlusion. What procedure(s) is used typically depends on the severity and location of the blockages. When successful, these procedures restore blood flow to myocardial tissue that had not been sufficiently perfused due to the occlusion.
Technological and procedural advances have improved the results obtained by the medical procedures now used to treat heart disease, and in particular coronary artery disease. There is, however, still much room for improvement. For that reason there remains a need in the art for new and improved systems, devices and methods for treating heart disease such as arteriosclerosis.
In a first embodiment, the invention provides a system and method for placing a guide member through a coronary vessel and the wall of patient""s heart into a heart chamber. The guide member may then be used to deliver devices into the heart chamber to carry out various medical procedures. In one preferred system constructed according to this embodiment, an introducer is configured for placement through the wall of a patient""s heart so as to extend into a heart chamber. The introducer receives a guide member sized and configured to be passed through the introducer, the coronary vessel and the heart wall into the heart chamber. In another preferred system, the introducer is constructed to position the guide member at a desired location within the heart chamber that allows the guide member to be removed from the chamber.
In one preferred method carried out according to this embodiment, a first end of a guide member is passed through a coronary vessel and the wall of the heart into a heart chamber. A second end of the guide member is maintained outside the heart chamber, and the first end of the guide member is then passed back out of the heart chamber. One of the ends of the guide member may be used to introduce medical devices into the heart chamber.
In a second embodiment, the invention provides a system and method for placing a conduit in the wall of a patient""s heart to communicate a coronary vessel with a heart chamber. One preferred system constructed according to this embodiment includes an introducer configured for placement through the wall of a patient""s heart into a heart chamber, a guide member sized and configured to be positioned in the introducer and placed through the heart wall into the heart chamber, and a conduit. The conduit is configured for placement in the heart wall to communicate the heart chamber with a coronary vessel.
One preferred method carried out according to this embodiment comprises positioning a guide member that extends through a coronary vessel and the heart wall into a heart chamber. The guide member is used to deliver a conduit into the heart chamber and the conduit is positioned in the heart wall to place the coronary vessel in communication with the heart chamber, thereby establishing a blood flow path between the heart chamber and the vessel.